Submersion signal



Feb. 14, 1961 LINN 2,971,206

SUBMERSION SIGNAL Filed Sept. 4, 1959 INVENTOR. E0 552 7' 4 //v/\4 flTTOE/VEYS,

Unite States Patent 2,971,206 SUBMERSION SIGNAL Robert Linn, General Delivery, Caledonia, Miss.

Filed Sept. 4, 1959, Ser. No. 838,300

Claims. (Cl. 9-9) This invention relates to a submersion signal for waders, swimmers, boat riders, water skiers, and other persons working or playing in bodies of water where depths greater than the height of the wearer are likely to be encountered.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an efficient and reliable device of the kind indicated, which is preferably worn on the head of the wearer, by means of a cap or harness, and which, upon submersion of the wearer to a predetermined depth in the water, releases a buoyant signal element to the surface of the water, which can be readily seen by and used by rescuers for locating and pulling the wearer to the surface of the water.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character indicated above which lends itself to being in the form of a space helmet so as to be attractive to youngsters, and thereby eliminate objections to its being worn by youngsters.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple device of the character indicated above, which is composed of a small number of simple and easily assembled parts, and which can be made of a variety of readily available and attractively colored materials, at relatively low cost.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from: the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific form of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a schematic view showing a device of the invention worn on the unsubmerged head of a wearer, with the signal element unreleased;

Figure 2 is a schematic view showing the head of a wearer submerged in Water and with the signal element released and floating on the surface of the water;

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 3--3 of Figure l; and

Figure 4 is a side elevation showing another form of signal element tether.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the illustrated device, generally designated 10, comprises an upwardly opening hollow base 12, preferably in the form of a hemispherical cup, having a central fiat bottom wall portion 14, upon which bears the enlarged, flared lower end portion 16 of an upstanding radial post 18, which is assembled to the base 12 by suitable means, such as a screw 20, passing upwardly through the base portion 14 and threaded upwardly in the post 18.

The screw 20 has an enlarged head 22 on its lower end which bears against the underside of a central or middle portion 24 of a band or strap 26 of a supporting means adapted to embrace the head of a wearer, the portion 24 being thereby secured to the underside of the base portion 14.

Upstanding on the post 18 is a straight vertical tubular shaft 28 having a free and open upper end 30, and a lower portion which is suitably secured to and around the post 18, as by being securably telescoped thereon, with its lower end 32 bearing upon the flared lower end portion 16 of the post. The shaft 28 has a smooth bore 34 in which is freely and loosely enclosed a tether 36, which can be in the form of an elongated, relatively weak helical spring 38, or in the form of a strong flexible cord 40. The tether 36 is suitably secured, at its lower end, as indicated at 42, to the upper end of the post 18, and is secured, at its upper end, to a buoyant visual signal element 42.

The signal element 42 comprises a buoyant hollow ball 44 having suitably secured in its side Wall. 46, a radial depending elongated plug 48, as by means of a groove 5% on the upper end of the plug, receiving the edge of an opening 52 in the ball side wall forced into the groove. The plug 48 has a free sliding fit in the open upper end 36 of the tubular shaft 28. For limited frictional retention of the plug 48 in the upper end of the shaft 26, at least one pair of laterally outwardly tensioned spring fingers 54 are provided for frictionally engaging the surface 9f the shaft bore 34. The fingers 54 are preferably the legs of an inverted U-shaped spring 56 which has a bight portion 58 extending through a transverse bore 60 formed in the lower part of the plug 48, so that the fingers 54 extend below the plug, at opposite sides of the plug. The fingers 54 preferably are outwardly bowed between their ends and terminate at their lower ends in inturned terminals 61 which facilitate insertion of the plug 48 in the upper end of the tubular shaft 28. Below the transverse bore 60, the plug has a reduced diameter lower end portion 62 which affords the fingers 54 free lateral flexure. The upper end of the tether 36 is suitably secured to the reduced lower end portion 62 of the plug, as by means of a loop 64 extending therethrough.

For kicking the signal ball 44 out of the upper end of the tubular shaft 28, and assuring separation of the ball 44 from the shaft, and its free ascent to a signalling position at the surface S of a body of water W below which the head H of a wearer is submerged, there is freely and slidably circumposed on the shaft 28 a float 66. The float 66 is preferably in the form of a hollow sphere 68, preferably larger in diameter than the signal ball 44, and has a vertical diametrical tube 7% extending therethrough and fixed to its side wall '72. The tube 70 has a lower end 74 which is preferably flush with the bottom of the sphere 63, and an upper end portion 76 which extends above the top of the sphere and has an upper end 78 to strike the bottom of the signal ball 44 and push or kick the ball 44 out of the shaft 28, as the head 14 of the wearer subsides below the water surface S to a predetermined depth, as indicated in Figure 2, and the sphere 68 is thereby floated upwardly along the tubular shaft 28. The sphere 68 normally rests upon the flared lower end portion 16 of the post 1.8, as shown in Figure 3.

The band or strap 26 constitutes an effective part of the supporting means adapted to embrace the head of a wearer, generally designated 80, the band 26 being substantially semi-circular and having free lower ends 82, to which are secured, as by separable fasteners 84, the upper ends 86 of a chin strap 88, incorporating adjusting means, such as a buckle 91]. The band 26 is worn across the top of the head H, with the chin strap 88 opposed thereto beneath the wearers chin, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, and a neck or nape-engaging strap 92 is secured, at its forward ends, as indicated at 94, to the band 26, prefrably at points above the chin strap fastening means, and can incorporate suitable adjusting means, such as a buckle 96. it will be understood that a suitably securely wearable cap can take the place of the supporting means 80.

Although there has been shown and described herein a preferred form of the invention it is not necessarily confined thereto, and that any change or changes in the structure of and in the relative arrangements of components thereof are contemplated as being within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A submersion signal comprising a supporting means adapted to embrace the head of a wearer, an upstanding shaft having a lower end assembled to the supporting means and an open upper end, a buoyant signal element normally supportably engaged with the upper end of said shaft, a flexible and extensible tether within the shaft, said tether having a lower end secured within a lower part of the shaft and an upper end adapted to extend above the upper end of the shaft, means securing the upper end of the tether to said buoyant signal element, and a float slidably mounted on said shaft, said float normally occupying a depressed position on the shaft, said float being adapted to rise along the shaft upon submersion of the head of a wearer of the signal and push the signal element off the upper end of the shaft.

2. A submersion signal comprising a supporting means adapted to embrace the head of a wearer, an upstanding shaft having a lower end assembled to the supporting means and an open upper end, a buoyant signal element normally supportably engaged with the upper end of said shaft, a flexible and extensible tether within the shaft, said tether having a lower end secured within a lowerpart of the shaft and an upper end adapted to extend above the upper end of the shaft, means securing the upper end of the tether to said buoyant signal element, and a float slidably mounted on said shaft, said float normally occupying a depressed position on the shaft, said float being adapted to rise along the shaft upon submersion f the head of a wearer of the signal and push the signal element off the upper end of the shaft, said supporting means comprising a band to engage across the top of the head of a wearer, a chin strap secured to the head band, and a neck strap secured to the band.

3. A submersion signal comprising an upwardly opening hollow base having a bottom wall portion, a supporting means adapted to embrace the head of a wearer fixed to and depending from said bottom wall portion, a post fixed to and rising from said bottom wall portion and having an upper end, a vertical tubular shaft having a lower end portion securably engaged over the post, said shaft having an open upper end, a buoyant signal element larger in diameter than and normally resting upon the upper end of the shaft, said signal element having a fixed depending plug freely engaged in the upper end of the shaft, a flexible and extensible tether in the shaft and secured at its lower end to said post, said tether having an upper end secured to said plug, said shaft having a bore, means on said plug frictionally and retainably engaging said bore, and a normally depressed float slidably circurnposed on the shaft below said signal element for pushing the signal element off the upper end of the shaft upon submersion of the signal.

4. A submersion signal comprising an upwardly opening hollow base having a bottom wall portion, a supporting means adapted to embrace the head of -a' wearer fixed to and depending from said bottom wall portion, a post fixed to and rising from said bottom wall portion and having an upper end, a vertical tubular shaft having a lower end portion securably engaged over the post, said shaft having an open upper end, a buoyant signal element larger in diameter than and normally resting upon the upper end of the shaft, said signal element having a fixed depending plug freely engaged in the upper end of the shaft, a flexible and extensible tether in the shaft and secured at its lower end to said post, said tether having an upper end secured to said plug, said shaft having a bore, means on said plug frictionally and retainably engaging said bore, and a normally depressed float slidably eircumposed on the shaft below said signal element for pushing the signal element off the upper end of the shaft upon submersion of t the signal, said signal element comprising a hollow ball.

5. A submersion signal comprising an upwardly opening hollow base having a bottom wall portion, a supporting means adapted to embrace the head of a wearer fixed to and depending from said bottom wall portion, a post fixed to and rising from said bottom wall portion and having an upper end, a vertical tubular shaft having a lower end portion securably engaged over the post, said shaft having an open upper end, a buoyant signal element larger in diameter than and normally resting upon the upper end of the shaft, said signal element having a fixed depending plug freely engaged in the upper end of the shaft, a flexible and extensible tether in the shaft and secured at its lower end to said post, said tether having an upper end secured to said plug, said shaft having a bore, means on said plug frictionally and retainably engaging said bore, and a normally depressed float slidably eircumposed on the shaft below said signal element for pushing the signal element off the upper end of the shaft upon submersion of the signal, said signal element comprising a hollow ball, said float comprising a hollow sphere having a fixed diametrical tube extending therethrough and sliding in the tubular shaft.

Pierce Mar. 23, 1897 Olsen Nov. 17, 1959 

